Earlier this week, Hull City centre-back James Chester became West Brom’s second arrival of the summer transfer window, following last month’s capture of winger James McClean. Arriving on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £8m, the Welch international’s versatility will be key for the Baggies, according to manager, Tony Pulis:
“James did very well for Hull City. I’ve had a good chat with him and he’s the type of player I like. He’s young, a strong character, a good defender, he has good feet and he has the Manchester United stamp all over him, just like (Stoke City’s) Ryan Shawcross and Darren Fletcher. They’re wonderful lads and I’m told James is as well. From the people I spoke to, like Steve Bruce and people in the Welsh party…they speak very highly of him. Steve especially gave him a great mention and there is no better accolade than Steve Bruce giving a defender a good drum roll. James is a good player who can play anywhere along the back line and I’m confident he will get better with age.”
The History
Born in Cheshire, Chester kicked off his football career with a stint at local club Winwick Athletic, before joining Manchester United’s youth ranks at the age of eight. After signing a trainee contract when he was 16 years old, Chester notched 17 appearances for the Red Devils’ U18 outfit during the 2005/06 season. He became a regular for the reserves in the 2007/08 campaign and was subsequently handed the captain’s armband the following term. The Warrington-born defender’s only senior appearance for United arrived in the 2009 League Cup semi-final against Derby County.
Chester then embarked on two short loan deals to Peterborough United and Plymouth Argyle, with his three-month stay at the latter club cut short due to cartilage damage. In the summer of 2010, the Welsh centre-back went back out on loan to League One outfit Carlisle United, tallying two goals in 18 league outings. When Chester’s temporary contact expired in January, Hull City swooped to sign him for an estimated fee of £300,000.
Chester made 21 starts in the second half of the 2010/11 Championship campaign with the Tigers, bagging one goal in the process. He established himself as a lynchpin in central defence over the next two terms, chalking up four goals and three assists in 88 appearances.
Upon Hull’s promotion to the Premier League for the 2013/14 season, Chester suffered a hamstring tear in Gameweek 6 and was subsequently sidelined for a couple of months. Chester sat out a fair chunk of the previous campaign, too, having undergone a shoulder operation in January. Nonetheless, he still managed to tally two goals in 23 starts for the Yorkshire club.
After committing to the Welsh national side on 7 May 2014, Chester was handed his maiden cap for the Dragons in a friendly tie against Netherlands. He’s since gone on to accrue a further five appearances, starting in all but one of Wales’ Euro 2016 qualifying matches.
The Prospects
Chester’s arrival at The Hawthorns throws up fresh uncertainty regarding the likely make-up of the Baggies’ rearguard right now. Pulis started both Joleon Lescott and Gareth McAuley in all 18 of his matches in charge last season, whilst Chris Brunt and Craig Dawson were utilised at left-back and right-back respectively in the vast majority of matches.
With Pulis suggesting that the new boy could play right across his back-four, it remains to be seen how this will affect his plans for the campaign ahead. Chester could replace Dawson on the right of defence, oust one of McAuley or Lescott in the middle – allowing the latter to shift to left-back – or (perhaps less likely) even take up the left-back berth himself. Fellow new boy McClean has impressed as a raiding left-back during pre-season, though, notably serving up two assists in their most recent victory over Walsall, and with Pulis favouring natural width in his 4-4-2 set-up, he may well opt for the Irishman here, allowing Brunt to take up a slot on the left of midfield.
Almost certain to come in at 5.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Chester could make a case as a viable route into West Brom’s back line if he can cement a regular starting berth. At present, both Dawson (thigh) and McAuley (calf) are nursing knocks that threaten to sideline them for a Gameweek 1 clash against Manchester City, potentially handing him the chance to stake an immediate claim for consideration.
Intriguingly, the former Tigers centre-back matched Dawson’s two-goal haul last term despite clocking 753 fewer minutes, though the main appeal of any West Brom defender lies in their ability to deliver defensive returns. The Baggies racked up 16 clean sheets in 2014/15 – only Chelsea, with 17, managed more – whilst no side carded more shut-outs away from home (eight).
With home clashes against City and Chelsea in the first three rounds of fixtures, though, many will be reluctant to opt for West Brom defenders from the off. Given that the schedule takes a turn for the better from Gameweek 5, it’s perhaps best to hold fire and assess Pulis’ plans for Chester, thus allowing us a clearer picture before investing in their resilient backline.
